Halton on track for the new Jubilee Bridge Cycle Way

HAULTON residents will soon have the choice to ditch the car for shorter journeys after plans to build a new walking and cycling route in the area were given the green light by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority. Developed in consultation with local people, the 9km route will provide a new green travel link to the Sci-Tech Daresbury innovation campus - 1 of the fastest growing sites of high skill employment in the Liverpool City Region and home to facilities used by major international firms including:- IBM and Unilever. The £5.9m scheme; funded by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, delivered in partnership with Halton Borough Council; will see the creation of new safe, segregated cycle lanes and traffic free roads and link some existing off road cycle paths to make a continuous 9km route from Bridge Street in Runcorn right though to Daresbury. The investment will include the construction of new crossings and upgraded junctions, as well as the installation of more than 50 columns of LED street lighting.

Work on the project could begin as early as August 2022. Twinned with the opening of the Silver Jubilee Bridge Separated Cycleway in 2021, once completed the route will enable people to take cycle journeys on dedicated active travel routes from Widnes to Daresbury for the 1st time. The route is an important part of Mayor Steve Rotheram's £30m investment in active travel infrastructure across all 6 boroughs of the Liverpool City Region - Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens and Wirral. The Combined Authority recently secured a further £12m to invest in green travel routes.

Mayor of the Liverpool City Region Steve Rotheram said:- "Being a member of the Liverpool City Region means that Halton can benefit from Region-wide investment. We're targeting investment directly into projects like this that might not otherwise have been possible. For too long, too many of our communities have been forced to put up with a fragmented, under funded system that doesn't offer them a genuine alternative to the car. Thanks to devolution; we're putting that right. I want to make it easier than ever for people to make better choices on how they travel for shorter journeys so that, wherever possible, they have the ability to leave the car at home and walk or cycle instead. The benefits are crystal clear; not only for people's health and bank balance; but for the health of our planet too. The more we can reduce pollution and congestion, the more we can do out bit for the future of our world, and the faster we can reach our target to be net zero by 2040 at the latest."

As well as linking to new housing developments, the scheme will also be fully integrated with Runcorn Station Quarter, an ambitious sustainable transport project delivering improved access to the Key West Coast Mainline Station as well as the nearby Bridgewater Canal and Runcorn Old Town Centre.

Cllr Stef Nelson, Halton Borough Council's portfolio holder for Highways and Transportation, says:- "This is an important route within Halton, identified through the Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan, linking areas of significant employment to the Town Centre, the mainline Station and the wider area, opening up opportunities for access to skilled jobs by low carbon, active modes of transport. It will also complement other active travel schemes in the area such as the recently completed Silver Jubilee Bridge, Runcorn Station Quarter and Halton Lea Busway routes."

Liverpool City Region Walking and Cycling Commissioner Simon O'Brien added:- "It's fantastic that this scheme has been agreed and that we'll able to push forward with our plans to help more people in the City Region travel by bike or foot safely and with confidence. We have an amazing opportunity to help change the way we think about travelling around our local area, including:- to and from work to the shops and around our Town Centres. This new scheme will encourage people to get out of their cars, which will help improve their health and wellbeing, the local environment and even save them some money - it's exactly what we need."

MP and Mayor go head to head on Lydiate bowling green

BILL Esterson MP joined Sefton Mayor Cllr Clare Carragher for the mayor's cup competition at Lydiate Bowls Club. The Federation of Lydiate Bowls Clubs have a mixture of competitive and social bowls sessions in Liverpool Road, Lydiate at Oakhill Park and rent the facilities from the parish Council. The mayor opened the competition by rolling the 1st jack. Mr Esterson and Cllr Mrs Carragher also played a few ends of bowls.

Mr Esterson said:- "Thank you to everyone at the Federation of Lydiate Bowls Clubs for welcoming us to the competition today and for giving us the chance to try out bowls. I am sure that like me the mayor really enjoyed playing bowls and we would both encourage more people to take part. Good luck to everyone who was playing in the competition today."

The Lydiate Bowls clubs are always keen to welcome new players and they hold social sessions on a Monday and Friday afternoon between 1.30 and 4.30pm. Alternatively, new players can call the treasurer, Brenda Delaney on:- 01512879775. Bill Esterson MP, Mayor of Sefton Cllr Clare Carragher are pictured with Lydiate Bowls Club members including:- chairman Joe Sefton, secretary Alan Toms and treasurer Brenda Delaney.

NHS Digital need patients and public to help develop and shape planning and research programme

NHS Digital is looking for patients and members of the public to share their views about how GP patient information is used in the NHS and to help develop and shape the GP data for planning and research programme. The project aims to improve the way the NHS uses GP patient information to run and improve health and care services, to help us to transform our understanding of what causes ill health and, importantly, what we can do to prevent or treat it and so that we can provide better care to people. NHS Digital recently conducted a listening exercise to explore how patients, the public and GPs really feel about this topic. People did see a connection between their patient data and how it could be used to benefit their communities and broader society, but the language currently used is too complex and full of jargon and the opt out process is confusing and needs to be made clearer

Eva Simmonds, head of the GP Data for Planning and Research programme explains:- "We know that patient data is key to helping us to run the NHS better and to developing new treatments and cures, but we also know that this type of data use is sometimes difficult to understand and that there is a lot to think about. We do know that there are some things patients and the public need to be confident about before they would be happy with this sort of project. People want to know that we have the right technology and safeguards to keep data safe, understand what it will be used for and know who has access to it and why. We have learned a lot from our research so far and we have some ideas about how we can do things differently, but to do that properly we need to have an open conversation with the public and we need to continue to listen and to adapt to what we hear. We want to hear from people from all walks of life, of all ages, experiences, views and from across the whole of England. It is important to us that our panel is representative, and we are keen to encourage applications from people who have never considered something like this before."

There are 2 ways the public can get involved:-

1. Joining the established GP Data Patient and Public Engagement and Communications Advisory Panel (PPECAP). The group provides a regular forum to share ideas, concerns, and best practice around data sharing, as well as inviting views on the best ways to engage with patients and the wider public in an accessible way.

2. Joining an engagement pool to support with 1 off opportunities. Activities may include:- focus group discussions, working groups to help develop materials, reviewing and providing feedback on communications materials or user testing.

No experience of undertaking this type of work is necessary, but good communications skills, being willing and confident to express personal views, being collaborative and inclusive and maintaining confidentiality are important.

All meetings are virtual, although there may be the opportunity for up to 2 in person meetings of the public and patient panel over a 12 month period. Financial payments or incentive vouchers will be provided to compensate for participant's time.

For more information and details about how to register an interest, please visit Let's talk GP patient information; NHS Digital. If you have any questions, please email:- GPdata@nhs.net and title your email:- 'Recruitment.' The deadline for expressions of interest is midnight on Sunday, 21 August 2022.

NHS Digital is committed to promoting equality and eliminating unlawful discrimination, and aim to achieve diversity in the range of people involved. Some groups are often underrepresented, therefore applications are particularly welcomed from:-

People with a Black, Asian or Mixed ethnic background.

People living in the most deprived areas of England.

People with protected characteristics as listed in the Equality Act (2010).

Please go to:- Digital.NHS.UK for more information.